Seymour Civil Engineering has been named as the lead contractor for a Hartlepool Borough Council regeneration project which will breathe new life into Church Square and Church Street.

The regeneration project is part of plans to transform the area into a hub for creative industries. The project has been funded by the Tees Valley Combined Authority, the Heritage Lottery Fund and Hartlepool Borough Council.

The project will see Church Square given a major uplift, with the pedestrianisation of the area. A large oval event space will also be created, encircled by trees and raised seating in front of Hartlepool Art Gallery.

In Church Street, work will focus on making the street more open and widening the pavement along the south of the street to accommodate the larger numbers of people walking to and from the new Cleveland College of Art and Design campus at the bottom of the street. Engraved stones will also be set into the pavement outside key buildings, explaining their history.

Kevin Byrne, Managing Director of Seymour Civil Engineering said: “The project shows both vision and ambition. The development of the historic commercial centre into a centre

for the creative arts is refreshing. It breathes new life and energy into an area originally built be the far-sighted industrialists of the late 19th and 20th centuries

“By careful choice of materials the finished scheme will be aesthetically pleasing and durable.

“Seymour are extremely pleased to be delivering the construction phase of this scheme as it allows us to be part of the regeneration of central Hartlepool and deliver a quality product.

“These are exciting times and it’s great to be in at the start. By coincidence the current completion date falls at the 40th anniversary of the founding of Seymour Civil Engineering.”

Councillor Kevin Cranney, Chair of the Council’s Regeneration Services Ccommittee, said: “These much-needed improvements will enhance and celebrate this historic quarter of Hartlepool, creating an attractive and revitalised environment for people to enjoy and in which businesses can flourish.

As a leading North East civil engineering firm, Seymour have carried out a number of urban renewal projects in the region. Most recently the firm celebrated a landmark contract win securing civil and infrastructure work for the £18 million exhibition development at Beamish Museum.

Seymour Civil Engineering has been contracted to carry out the civil and infrastructure work for the £18million expansion of Beamish, The Living Museum of the North – the biggest project in the museum’s history.

The project will see the addition of over 30 new exhibits, including a 1950s Town, Farm and a Georgian coaching inn, where visitors can stay overnight at Beamish.

Kevin Byrne, Managing Director of Seymour Civil Engineering, said: “Seymour Civil Engineering is extremely proud to be working on the next phase of the Beamish Museum development. The museum is a regional treasure and a living legacy to the history of the North East, and it’s fantastic that we’re able to support with its continued growth that will allow future generations to experience the region’s heritage for years to come.

“As an experienced contractor having worked on several historic structures and establishments, we understand the importance of projects like this and feel very passionate about using our expertise and skills to showcase the region’s incredible history.”

Thanks to the money raised by National Lottery players, the project has been awarded £10.9million by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).

Richard Evans, Beamish’s Director, said: “After years of careful planning we are really excited to be starting this major project, creating new ways for visitors to experience Beamish and learn more about everyday life in the North East of England through time.

“This is the largest project we have ever undertaken – so this is a major milestone in the history of Beamish. We are looking forward to the future with great optimism as we continue to grow and attract even more visitors to our region.”

Remaking Beamish project is expected to create nearly 100 new jobs, and training opportunities, including 50 apprenticeships. An extra 100,000 tourists are set to be attracted to the region. The museum will remain open throughout the building programme.

Find out more about the Remaking Beamish project at www.beamish.org.uk.

Apprentices from Seymour Civil Engineering, one of the North East’s leading civil contractors have spoken out about the importance of the apprenticeship route at the Bring It On North East event.

The exhibition, which was held at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light, targeted the engineers of the future and saw three apprentices from Seymour, Luke Bell, Sam Shaw, and Klaudia Robinson, inspiring youngsters and helping children from schools across the North East have a go on the Institute of Civil Engineers’ Bridge.

The event falls in line with research conducted by Engineering UK, revealing that companies need to recruit 56,000 engineers a year until 2022 to meet demand and currently there is an annual shortfall of 28,000 apprentices entering into the industry.

Klaudia, said: “It’s incredibly important to raise the aspirations of young people and to inform them of the options available to them. It gives them more to aim for and the more education we can give them surrounding careers in engineering then the better it is for the industry and the region.

“It’s especially important to remove the misconceptions that engineering is strictly a male career choice. I’ve seen the girls here at the event take just as much, if not more, interest in what he had to say and they have actively got involved with helping to erect the bridge.”

Sam said: “There have been so many school kids coming up to me and asking me questions about the bridge and what sort of engineering is involved in creating a structure such as this. It’s incredible to see children from all sorts of backgrounds taking an active interest in it.

“Some have even been telling me facts they know about engineering. One pupil told me that they knew why the bridge was made using triangles for the struts as it’s one of the most structurally durable shapes. It’s great that our region’s school children are learning things like this in school.”

Seymour now has a total of 6 apprentices, including Ryan Browell Junior, who is an apprentice engineer working on the firms Newcastle projects.

Luke Bell who attended the event, was taken on by Seymour this year alongside fellow student Darren Coombs.

Luke said: “Seymour coming into my school and making the effort to connect with me was exactly what I needed to make the decision to apply for an apprenticeship, which is why it is so important that events like this are put on and backed by local companies.

“I believe that engineering firms should be getting in front of teenagers to educate them on what careers are available to them. Careers events like Bring It On are the perfect way to meet and chat with students, engagement that could make a real difference to their decisions for the future.”